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Resemblance to meat in texture, flavour & appearance and more
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Wednesday, 11 December, 2019, 13 : 00 PM [IST]
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Shital Nagre
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Eating plant-based meat in place of red meat can help us to reduce our red meat intake. In a country like America, an average American eats 2.4 burgers per day. Plant- based options are more sustainable, and environment-friendly.
Plant-based meat is meat made from plants. It is specially designed to look like and taste like and cook like conventional meat. Plant-based meat can be in the form of burger patty, nuggets, or crumbles and sausages. Plant-based meats are made to resemble meat products in texture, flavour and appearance. The primary ingredients in plant-based meat substitute are typically soybean, wheat gluten, lentils and a variety of nuts.
In 2013, Whole Foods came up with plant-based meat startup - 'Beyond Meat,' its first shot at selling its vegan “chicken” strips. A year later, the brand developed its first “beef” product made from plant proteins, which later morphed into its now famous Beyond Burger in 2016.
That same year, another plant-based meat startup, Impossible Foods, released its alternative to the beef burger made from soy protein concentrate to restaurants in July 2016.
Today, both Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods have exploded.
Plant-based meat tastes very similar to regular meat. Traditional meat companies argue that the word “meat” should apply only to animal-raised protein. In general, alternative meat products fall into two categories: plant-based protein product and cell- based protein. In plant-based protein products, protein is extracted and isolated from the plant, then combined with other plant-based ingredients with the goal of making the product as meaty as possible.
In cell-based meat, an animal cell is extracted from an animal and grown in a lab culture to create a piece of meat.
Meat v/s Plant-based Meat
The Beyond Meat burger uses 99% less water, 93% less land, 90% less fossil fuel emission. The Impossible Burger uses 87% less water, 96% less land, 89% less fossil fuel emission than a quarter pound of regular grand beef. The statistics offer a rosy image of meat alternatives benefiting the environment in a big way.
Meat alternatives could be effective in creating a more sustainable food supply without forcing people to change their diet too drastically.
Plant-based meats are requiring colour additives, they are often highly processed food with a lot of additives in them compared to traditional meat products.
Alternative meat products are still more expensive than regular meat products. But even the most efficient process for creating hyper processed meat alternative is unmatched to the efficiency of growing veg and legumes.
Industrial animal meat is treated with chemicals, and it tends to be contaminated with the bacteria.
Based on calories alone, plant-based protein is healthier than animal-based meat. The Impossible Whopper from Burger King is lower in calories, fat, cholesterol than the regular whopper. Cell-based meat also has the potential to be healthier than regular animal meat because it can be engineered to contain more protein, essential amino acids and vit. While reducing the amount of saturated fat and minimising the chance of animal- borne illnesses contaminating the meat.
Plant-based meat is having significant amount of sodium as compared to traditional meat. People are willing to make trades if they think that it is healthier product. Plant- based meat is always criticised as it is highly processed.
Plant-based meat in Indian scenario
In India, for many communities red dot is bad and green dot is good as they are veg. Such communities will accept the plant-based meat as a good source of protein and if engineered vitamin-rich then acceptance will be more as people want healthier option. We Indians already use soya nuggets and chunks as a good substitute for meat as it is a rich source of protein and it tastes similar to meat, many using it for meat restricted season in India. So, I think, in India also, plant-based meat is having large scope and can expand easily and many companies are interested and working on that.
(The author is a dietitian. She can be contacted at shitalchole@gmail.com)
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